Conflict Dynamics International is an independent, not-for-profit
organization founded to prevent and resolve violent conflict
between and within states, and to alleviate human suffering
resulting from conflicts and other crises around the world.

These practical resources address today’s challenges in securing and sustaining humanitarian access. The resources have been developed under an initiative of the Government of Switzerland with support from Conflict Dynamics. A Consultation Group –involving the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) – has guided and actively contributed to the resources through all stages of development.

The Practitioners’ Manual and Handbook are designed to assist humanitarian practitioners in structuring their approaches to access in order to achieve greater humanitarian impact in situations of armed conflict. The resources are also intended for people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection themselves, officials of affected States and national authorities, parties to armed conflict, international organizations, and donors who support humanitarian action.

Conflict Dynamics’ South Sudan Team and the Dr. John Garang Memorial University, Bor, Jonglei State embarked in October 2013 on a joint research project to support the diverse groups of Jonglei State to voice their ideas about how governance arrangements can build peace.

The project took place in a period that saw the outbreak of an acute political and security crisis which shook South Sudan, where Jonglei became a strategic military front between warring parties, displacing and causing radical upheaval for many of the project’s target communities. Given the importance of understanding ways in which governance arrangements for Jonglei relate to the conflict which broke out on a national level, the project continued and captured the ideas of a range of people from diverse counties and ethnicities. The report "Building the House of Governance: Towards sustainable peace in Jonglei State" presents these people’s perceptions of governance and conflict in Jonglei State; viewpoints which hold important answers for successful peacebuilding in Jonglei State as well as in South Sudan more broadly.

February 2014: Cultivating Consensus

February 2014 - The Briefing Paper "Cultivating Consensus" (Somali version) from the Conflict Dynamics International Somali program presents frameworks, tools, and a range of six 'option categories' for arrangements that can accommodate the political interests and perspectives of the Somali people and their representatives, within and between Somalia and Somaliland.

The adoption of the Provisional Federal Constitution and the selection of a new government in August / September 2012 ushered in renewed opportunities for peace and prosperity in Somalia. In addition, toward the end of the Transitional Period, an initial dialogue between Somalia and Somaliland commenced. Significant security, governance, economic, and social concerns remain, which could threaten these gains and contribute to continuing or new conflicts. To build on the progress achieved requires the development of governance arrangements that can effectively accommodate diverse political interests and perspectives in all of Somalia and Somaliland. The spectrum of 'option categories' presented in this Briefing Paper are designed to contribute to Somali approaches to developing, and implementing, arrangements that can achieve effective conciliation of their political interests and perspectives. The preliminary options presented range from a single-entity with international personality (e.g. a federal system) to multiple-entity configurations with limited political interaction (e.g. separate sovereign entities interacting through treaties). These options offer approaches for building conciliation around people's different interests. Options presented are not recommendations; they merely serve to illustrate approaches that would prove politically accommodating.

February 2014: Governance in the Sudan

February 2014 - Conflict Dynamics’ Briefing Paper “Governance in the Sudan: Options for political accommodation in the Republic of the Sudan” العربية presents a framework, tools, and preliminary options to assist the people of the Sudan and their representatives in exploring, seeking consensus around, and implementing governance arrangements that can effectively reconcile people’s competing political interests and perspectives. It is intended as a ‘toolkit,’ from which the reader can extract concepts and practices that may contribute to efforts at political accommodation. It is part of a broader initiative by Conflict Dynamics to contribute substantively to peace and sustainable development throughout the Republic of the Sudan.

August 2013 - Conflict Dynamics’ Briefing Paper “Shaping the Future” العربية provides the tools to analyze options for political and economic interactions according to how they contribute to peace and conflict prevention. In this way, the Briefing Paper is designed to inform the debate about future economic and political interactions between the two States. It is part of an initiative by Conflict Dynamics to support the people of the Republic of the Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan in building a peaceful and effective long-term relationship. The initiative aims to assist the two countries in developing a shared vision of what such a relationship might look like, which could ultimately lead to the evolution of new frameworks for interaction as two independent States.

April 2013: Women’s Inclusion and Equity under the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan 2011

April 2013 - Conflict Dynamics’ initiative “Beyond Quotas and Mainstreaming: Gender and Political Accommodation in South Sudan” supports women in their efforts to ensure their interests are accommodated in South Sudan’s governance arrangements, as a precondition for sustainable peace. Under this initiative, Conflict Dynamics has convened dialogues that have drawn participation from women members of the Council of Ministers, National Constitutional Review Commission, National Legislature, political parties, civil society groups, and academia. The dialogues have helped women understand how current governance arrangements represent their interests, and explore opportunities for enhancing gender equity and inclusion through political processes such as constitutional review.

To support women’s discussions on how they can effectively feed their views into the national constitutional review process, Conflict Dynamics published this Briefing Note in April 2013. The Briefing Note also accompanied Conflict Dynamics’ presentation on comparative country experiences at the South Sudan National Women’s Conference (May 2013).

March 2013: Regional Consultation Workshops On Humanitarian Access In Situations Of Armed Conflict

13 March 2013 - The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), supported by Conflict Dynamics International ), is undertaking an initiative to develop practical resources on humanitarian access in situations of armed conflict. The two resources are: a Field Manual and Handbook on humanitarian access in situations of armed conflict.

During 2012-2013 the conveners have held a series of Regional Consultation Workshops in order to consult on and refine the two resources and to pilot modules for use in future trainings. To date, Workshops have been successfully completed in Switzerland (July 2012), Jordan (September 2012), and Kenya (February 2013). The final workshop held in Bangkok (March 2013) for the first time presented revised content based on previous feedback received in past Workshops.

For more information on the project and Regional Consultation Workshops, click here.

January 2013: Pathways to Peace – South Sudan’s Constitution

January 2013 - As South Sudan’s national constitutional review process unfolds, CDI has published an easily-accessible note on how choices about governance in the constitution can help build long-term peace. Illustrated by a South Sudanese cartoonist, this resource highlights the opportunities constitutional review brings for mutual conciliation of people’s interests, consensus-building, and devising a peaceful State. CDI is using this note to support policy makers and civil society as they engage in deliberations about the constitution.

October 2012 - On 14 June 2012, Conflict Dynamics in collaboration with the Dr. John Garang Memorial University hosted the consultative workshop "Building the House of Governance in Jonglei State." The event in Jonglei's capital, Bor, brought together policy makers, academics and civil society leaders to consider governance options for building peace in one of South Sudan's most conflict-affected states. This Discussion Note published in October 2012 outlines participant's reflections, along with an approach to developing options for political accommodation in Jonglei.

Conflict Dynamics works on projects around the world, focusing on places where we can make the most impact. Click on the map above to see where we are working.

CDI Peace Pulse

This monthly digest seeks to inform readers about recent debates and scholarship at the intersection of governance and peacebuilding, as well as research relating to Conflict Dynamics' peacebuilding contexts (Somalia, Somaliland, South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria).